سرى ولثام الصبح قد كاد ينحط — Alarjani

سَرى ولثامُ الصُّبحِ قد كاد يَنحَطُّ

خَيالٌ تَسدَّى القاعَ والحيُّ قد شَطُّوا

It came by night, when dawn's veil had almost fallen:

a phantom crossing the plain, while her people had gone far away.

وزار وقد نَدَّى النّسيمُ حُلِيَّهُ

فبات يُباري الثَّغْرَ في بَرْدِه السِمط

It visited, the breeze having moistened its jewels;

and all night the necklace rivaled her teeth in coolness.

وما عَطّرتْ نجداً صَباها وإنّما

سَرى وهْو مَجرورٌ على إثْره المِرط

It was not its east wind that perfumed Najd; rather,

the phantom passed, its mantle trailing in its wake.

هو البدرُ وافَى والثُّريّا كأنّها

على الأُفْقِ مُلقىً منه من عَجَلٍ قُرْط

The full moon itself had arrived, and the Pleiades seemed

an earring it had hastily cast upon the horizon.

من البيضِ يَهْدي الركبَ باللّيلِ وجْهُها

إذا ضلّ مثْلي في غدائِرها المُشط

She is among the fair women whose face guides caravans by night,

when the comb, like me, loses its way amid her tresses.

تَراكَ بعَينَيها المَهاةُ إذا رنَتْ

ويُعطيك ليتَيْها الغزالُ الّذي يَعْطو

When she gazes, the oryx looks at you through her eyes;

and the gazelle reaching up to browse offers you her neck's two sides.

عَقيلَةُ رَهْطٍ لو أَخلَّتْ برَهْطِها

كفاها بأنّ العاشِقينَ لها رَهْط

The noble lady of a clan—if she forsook her clan,

it would suffice her that her lovers formed a clan for her.

يَحُفُّ بها من سِرِّ قَيْسٍ فَوارسٌ

تَخُبُّ بهمْ خَيلٌ لوجْهِ الفلا تَغْطو

Horsemen from the noblest stock of Qays surround her;

horses trot with them, racing over the desert's face.

إذا ما تَثَنّتْ والقنا مُحدِقٌ بها

تَرى الخُوطَ في أثناء ما يُنبِتُ الخَطّ

When she sways, with spears encircling her,

you see a tender shoot amid what al-Khatt grows.

هُمُ يومَ زَمُّوا للفراقِ رِكابَهم

رَمونا بسَهْمٍ في القلوبِ فلم يُخْطوا

The day they bridled their mounts for departure,

they shot an arrow into our hearts and did not miss.

وساروا بأفلاكٍ من العيسِ فوقها

كواكبُ إلاّ أنّ أبراجَها الغُبط

They journeyed on spheres of pale camels, above which

were stars—except that their zodiacal houses were camel litters.

وألْوتْ بَصبري يومَ ولَّتْ غَريرةٌ

تُحكَّمُ في نَفْسِ المُعنّى فتَشْتَطّ

An innocent maiden swept away my patience the day she turned away,

given dominion over the tormented lover's soul, then overstepping all bounds.

فَرشْتُ لها خَدّي لتَخْطو كرامةً

عليه فلم تَمْلِكْ من التِّيهِ أن تَخْطو

I spread my cheek for her to step, as an honor,

upon it; but her haughtiness kept her from taking a step.

وعُدْتُ ولي سِلْكٌ من الجِسمِ ناحلٌ

عليهِ لِدُرِّ الدَّمعِ من مُقْلتي خَرْط

I returned with a body wasted to a thread,

on which pearls of tears from my eye were strung.

يَبُلُّ البُكا خَدّي وفي القلبِ غُلَّتي

وكم سُقِيتْ أَرضٌ وفي غَيرِها القَحْط

Weeping wets my cheek, while burning thirst remains within my heart;

how often one land is watered while another suffers drought!

فلا زال من دَمعِ الغوادي على اللِّوى

سُقيطٌ يُحلَّى منه باللُّؤْلُؤ السِّقْط

May the morning clouds' tears never cease falling upon al-Liwa,

their drops adorning the dune's fringe with pearls.

مَعارِفُ أشباهُ الصّحائفِ وُضَّحٌ

لأيدي البِلَى في كُلِّ رَسْمٍ لها خَطّ

Familiar traces, bright as pages,

on each of whose vestiges decay's hands have written a line.

حكَى النُّؤْىُ منها مَشْقَ بعضِ حُروفِه

ويحكي الأثافي السُّودَ من بَعْضِها النَّقْط

The camp's trench mimics the long strokes of some of that script's letters;

and dots from some letters mimic the black hearthstones.

وعَهدي برَبْعِ العامريّةِ مَرّةً

وَرَكْبُ الهوَى منّا بِواديهِ يُحْتَطّ

I remember the Amiriyya's dwelling as it once was,

when our caravan of love made camp in its valley.

وشَرْطُ اللّيالي أن يَفينَ لأَهْلِه

وتَأْبَى اللّيالي أن يَصِحَّ لها شَرط

The nights were pledged to keep faith with its people,

but nights refuse to let any pledge hold true.

فآهاً على تلك العُهودِ الّتي مضَتْ

لقد دُرسَتْ حتّى كأنْ لم تَكُنْ قَطّ

Ah, for those bygone times!

They have been effaced, as though they had never existed.

كذا الدّهرُ إنّ تَكشِفْ حقيقةَ خُلْقِه

تَجِدْ لا الرِّضا منه يَدومُ ولا السُّخْط

Such is Time: if you uncover its true nature,

you find neither its favor nor its wrath endures.

ولا تَضَعُ الأَيّامُ شيئاً مكانَه

ولكنّها العَشْواءُ سِيرتُها الخَبط

The days put nothing in its proper place;

they are a dim-sighted she-camel, whose way is blind stumbling.

وزائرةٍ لِلَّيلِ قُرْبٌ بشَخْصِها

إليَّ وللفجرِ المُنيرِ بها شَحْط

And a visitor whom night brings close in person

to me, but whom the shining dawn sends far away.

كأنّ الدُّجى منّي شبابٌ لِمَيْلها

إليَّ به والصُّبحَ في طَرْدِها وَخْط

As though darkness were my youth, since she inclines

to me in it, and dawn, in driving her away, were streaks of gray hair.

سرَى من أعالي الرَّقمتَيْنِ خَيالُها

وقد حان من عُقْلِ النُّجومِ بها نَشط

Her phantom came by night from the heights of al-Raqmatayn,

when the hour had come there to loose the stars' hobbles.

ونحن على الأكوارِ مِيلٌ من السُرَى

بِوادي الخُزامى والمَطيُّ بنا تَمْطو

We leaned sideways on the camel saddles, weary from night travel,

in Wadi al-Khuzama, as our camels stretched their strides beneath us.

ركائبُ أبقَى الوَخْدُ منهنَّ في الفلا

شَبيهاً بما أَوهَى من الأَنسُعِ المَغْط

Mounts that rapid travel through the wastes had reduced

to the likeness of girth-straps weakened by stretching.

فللّهِ من عِيسٍ بَرَى السّيْرُ نَحْضَها

نَجاءً كما الوَى بأنساعِها المَعْط

God be praised for pale camels whose flesh travel pared away

in swift travel, as tugging wore their girth-straps thin.

رفَعْنا لإدراكِ المعالي رِحالَنا

ومادونَ لُقيانِ الأميرِ لها حَطّ

We raised our saddles in pursuit of lofty honors,

and would not set them down before meeting the emir.

فزُرْنا ظهيرَ الدينِ وابنَ قِوامِه

وكُلُّ وَساعٍ من نَجائِبنا تَعْطو

We visited Zahir al-Din, son of the faith's pillar,

while each broad-striding camel of ours stretched its neck forward.

لقد ضَمَّ أشتاتَ المحامدِ ماجدٌ

يَداهُ يدٌ تَسخو ندى وَيدٌ تَسطو

A noble man has gathered all the scattered virtues:

of his two hands, one lavishes bounty, the other strikes fiercely.

فتىً ظلَّ يزْهَى السيّفُ والسَّيبُ أنه

يَخُصُّهما من كفِّه القَبضُ والبَسْط

A noble youth whose sword and largesse ever boast that he

singles them out with the closing and opening of his hand.

يُميتُ ويُحيي في الوَرى غيرَ أنّه

عطاياهُ دَأْبٌ وانتِقاماتُه فُرط

He brings death and life among mankind, yet

his gifts are constant, his acts of vengeance rare.

بيمناهُ ضَبْطٌ للممالكِ كُلّها

وليس لأَدنَى ما يَجودُ به ضَبْط

His right hand holds all kingdoms firmly,

but even the least of his gifts cannot be reckoned.

له قلمٌ يَقتَصُّ من أَرؤسِ العدا

بما قد جنَى في رأسهِ الثَّقُّ والقَطّ

He has a pen that exacts vengeance from his enemies' heads

for the splitting and trimming inflicted upon its own tip.

وَينطِقُ عن مَكنونِ قَلْبٍ إذا ارتأَى

فما لِسُتورِ الغَيْبِ من دونه لَطّ

It speaks the secrets of a heart whenever he forms a judgment,

so the veils of the unseen can offer no concealment against it.

ويَحلو الوغَى والعاسِلاتُ أساوِدٌ

لها في سُوَيْداواتِ أبطالِها بَسط

Battle grows sweet, while swaying spears are black snakes,

with free range in its champions' heart-cores.

وللدّمِ من نَحْرِ الكَمّيِ صَوائكٌ

من النّضْحِ حَيّاتُ الرّماح بها رُقْط

Clinging drops of blood come from the armored warrior's throat;

their spray dapples the serpents of the spears.

تَثَنّى العَوالي كَالقُدودِ نَواعِماً

بِحَيثُ الحَنايا كَالحَواجِبِ تَمتَطُّ

The tall spears sway softly, like slender bodies,

where bows stretch like eyebrows.

سَمَت بِوَجيهِ المُلكِ في المَجدِ رُتبَةٌ

إِذا ما تَعلى الحاسِدونَ لَها اِنحَطّوا

A rank in glory has raised Wajih al-Mulk,

to which envious men, whenever they try to climb, fall back.

وَهَل مِن فَتىً جَعدٍ سِواهُ مِنَ الوَرى

تَجودُ عَلى العِلّاتِ مِنهُ يَدٌ سَبطُ

Is there among mankind another sturdy youth like him,

whose open hand gives generously despite every hardship?

فَقابَلَ أَطرافَ العُلا في أَماثِلٍ

لَهُ حينَ يَعزى مِن بُيوتِهِمُ الوَسطُ

He matches nobility's furthest reaches among illustrious men;

when his lineage is traced, the noblest center of their houses is his.

مَقاديمُ يَعتَمّوانَ بِالبيضِ نَجدَةً

فَأَرؤُسُهُم عَصرَ الشَبابِ بِها شُمطُ

Champions who, in valor, wear white helmets as turbans,

so that even in youth their heads are grizzled by them.

إِذا ما لَهُم لَم يُستَبَح يَومَ جودِهِم

فَيُؤخَذُ ما اِعتَدّوا سَماحاً بَأَن يُعطوا

If what they possess is not thrown open on their day of giving

and taken, they do not count themselves generous merely by giving.

هُمُ القَومُ إِن يُدعَوا إِلى العَفوِ أَسرَعوا

كَراماً وَإِن يُدعَوا لِيَنتَقِموا يُبطوا

They are people who, when summoned to pardon, hasten

nobly; but when summoned to take vengeance, delay.

فَلا زالَ مِن عَينِ الحَسودِ لِمَجدِكُم

يَسيلُ وَمِن نَحرِ العَدُوِّ دَمٌ عَبطُ

May there always, from the eye of one envying your glory,

and from the enemy's throat, flow freshly shed blood.

وَما أَنا إِلّا عَبدُ نِعمَتِكَ الَّذي

لِمَيسَمِها البادي بِصَفحَتِهِ عَلطُ

I am only the slave of your bounty, whose

cheek bears the mark of its plainly visible brand.

وَذاكِرُ عَهدٍ مِنكَ إِذ أَنا أَغتَدي

وَبِالقَومِ لي في ظِلِّ دَولَتِكُم غُبطُ

And I remember a time with you, when I went forth each morning,

with enviable fortune among men beneath the shade of your rule;

وَطيبُ لَيالٍ كَالجِنانِ اِفتَقدتُها

كَآدَمَ مِنها حينَ أَدرَكَهُ الهَبطُ

and the sweetness of nights like gardens of Paradise, which I lost,

like Adam, when his descent cast him out of them.

فَإِن كانَ تاجُ المُلكِ مانِعَ جانِبي

مِنَ الدَهرِ أَن يَلقاهُ مِن صَرفِهِ ضَغطُ

If Taj al-Mulk once shielded my side

from Time, so no turn of fortune could press upon it,

وَأَيُّ فَتىً مِنهُ تَذَكَّرتُ أَصبَحَت

عَلَيهِ جُيوبُ الصَبرِ لي وَهيَ تَنعَطُّ

and whenever I recall what a noble man he was,

the collars of my patience are torn apart in mourning for him.

فَلا يَتَمَنّوا سَلوَتي بَعدَ مَوتِهِ

فَما هِيَ إِلّا في رَمائِمِهِ خَلطُ

Let them not hope for my consolation after his death;

it lies only mingled with his crumbling remains.

فَإِن تَكُنِ الأَيّامُ جارَت بِفَقدِهِ

فَقُل في اللَيالي أَيُّ أَفعالِها قِسطُ

If the days have wronged us through his loss,

then say: which of the nights' deeds is just?

وَلَكِن إِذا عاشَ الهُماُمُ مُحَمَّدٌ

فَفيهِ لَنا من نَيلِ كُلِّ مُنىً قِسطُ

Yet if the high-hearted Muhammad lives,

in him we have a share in attaining every wish.

وَبَينَ جُفونِ الحاسِدينَ بِلَحظِهِ

قَتادَةُ غَيظٍ لا يُطالقُ لَها خَرطُ

Between the enviers' eyelids, at his glance,

stands a thorn-tree of rage that no one can bear to strip.

فَقُل لِعَدُوٍّ ذاقَ سَورَةً بِأَسِهِ

رُوَيدَكَ إِنَّ النارَ أَوَّلُها سَقطُ

Tell an enemy who has tasted the fury of his might:

Wait a little: a fire begins with a spark.

فأَرعِ رعاكَ اللهُ سَمْعَك عِذْرةً

ضعيفةَ وَقْعِ القولِ أسهُمُها مُرط

So lend your ear—may God protect you—to an apology,

whose words strike weakly, their arrows bare of feathers.

وما هو إلاّ أن تَعُمَّ جَرائمي

بصَفْحِ كما أنحَى على الوَرَقِ الخَبْط

All I ask is that you cover my offenses

with pardon, as blows descend upon the leaves.

فدام على الرّاجينَ مُلكُك إنّهُم

غَدوْا وبه من عَيْنِ دَهرهمُ غُطّوا

May your rule endure over those who hope in you; they

have become, through it, shielded from the eye of their age.

ولا زالَ مَمدوداً عليك رِواقُها

سَماءً بغَيْمٍ لا يُتاحُ لها كَشْط

May its canopy remain spread above you,

a clouded heaven that can never be stripped bare.

لضَيفِ النّدَى يُمسي بأَفنائِكَ القِرَى

وخَيْلِ العُلا يُضْحِي بأبوابك الربط

For the guest of bounty, hospitality waits each evening in your courts;

and each morning the steeds of eminence are tethered at your gates.

تَقاسَمُ أفعالَ المكارِمِ كَفُّه

فكلٌّ له قسْمٌ وكلٌ له قِسط

His hand apportions the deeds of noble generosity:

each has its portion, and each its share.

وخُذْها تَهزُّ العِطفَ منكَ تَطرُّباً

كما شُعشِعَتْ للشَّربِ صَهباءُ إسْفَنْط

Take it: it will sway your side with delight,

like tawny isfant wine diluted for the drinkers.

هيَ الدُّرُّ منثوراً وغايةُ فَخْرهِ

بسَمعكِ يوماً أن يكونَ له لَقْط

It is scattered pearls, whose highest boast

is that your ear might one day gather them.